Zeiss Lenses for Manual Focus Nikons

[william_kornrich]

I've seen Zeiss lenses advertised (AIS) for Nikon manual focus cameras---any

experience with them?

[michaelschrag]

Four of them are tested here: http://www.photozone.de/8Reviews/index.html

 

They lack autofocus and are slightly better (maybe) than their Nikon counterparts, for a lot more money. Two more macro (or makro) lenses are coming out the 50mm f/2 and the 100mm f/2. The 50mm is currently available at the Zeiss website for roughly $1170.

[sergio maretz]

I am myself addicted to Zeiss lenses, since my old days with Contax. 2 months ago I bought a Zeiss 2.8/25 ZF, and it is the one I prefer using, because of its long dof and the possibility offered to focus from 17 cm, so I am using it for macro, such as flowers. I bought it initially for landscape.

I like manual focus, but due to my weakening sight, I ordered the focussing screen Katz Eye, which seems to be a compulsory item for the manual focus lovers....at least after 49!

I love the quality of the lens, heavy and built like a german car, with the perfect "click" of the aperture ring. Extremely sharp at all apertures at the center, and an even sharpness between center and border at f11.

I would not give away my Zeiss against 2 Nikons ;). Warning: works best (and maybe only) with D200 and the new Fuji S5. Works probably with a lot of manual focus bodies.

I have another pretty manual lens, a Voigtlander macro 125.

Salut, Serge

[sergio maretz]

Should add that since it a FF lens, it will be ok with any future digital Nikon.

[gaius1]

Review of the 25mm, 35mm and 50mm ZFs in this month's Black & White Photography magazine. Summary: they liked 'em.

 

Also another pointless article by that pompous old bore Mike Johnson on how he invented "bokeh". Will no-one save us from this insufferable buffoon?

[marek_fogiel]

I am using the 25,35 and 85, and waiting for the 50 macro to arrive. My take is: for a manual film camera work ( I do that with FM3A and XP2), these are simply the best lenses that have ever been available for a Nikon, period. We are at Leica levels at less than a half of the cost.

For DSLR shooting, I think these lenses are still delivering the optical performance of excellence, but the limitations of MF, especially if linked with the notorious difficulty to focus correctly without a proper (and well aligned) screen, make them a natural choice for specialized uses that put more stress on the image quality and less on fast image capture. As many top photographers said, the image comes first - if you don't have the shot, because your camera was slow, couldn't meter correctly or didn't give you the correct focus, it is pointless to split hairs about the quality.

[frank_skomial]

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00KSM5&unified_p=1

[wj_lee]

You are paying a premium for being the best, even the margin isn't that great. But then again you always have to pay a premium for the best products.

[keirst]

The Zeiss 25mm/2.8 Distagon ZF has very nice imaging characteristics, high contrast and

resolution, low flare, good color rendition and smooth tonality. Out of focus blur is very

smooth. It's better optically than the Nikon 24mm lenses particularly in the corners, but not

as good as the Zeiss rangefinder lens, the 25mm/2.8 Biogon ZM for Leica M and compatible

cameras. The Zeiss 25mm Distagon focuses very close, almost to macrophotographic range.

 

Her is an example wide open at night:<div></div>

[keirst]

Here is f/4:<div></div>

[keirst]

Another f/4:

[keirst]

And last, f/5.6 (I think, though it could be f/8). All these were shot on film with F3 or F4

body, printed on Kodak Endura papers, then scanned.<div></div>

[keirst]

<p><b><i>Oops!</i></b> I forgot Photo.net can't handle goodly sized images. Here

are links to the 25mm Distagon shot images on an outside server:</p><b>

<p>F/2.8: <a href="http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~keirst/technical/25mmD-

F2.8-070331-1000.jpg">Bus Stop, Boston, MA - 668 x 1000 photo</a></p>

<p>F/4: <a href="http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~keirst/technical/25mmD-

F4-070331-1000.jpg">Wellington St. door, Boston, MA - 1000 x 667 photo</a></p>

<p>F/4: <a href="http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~keirst/technical/25mmD-

F4-070331-2-1000.jpg">Plum Produce window, Boston, MA - 1000 x 669 photo</a></

p>

<p>F/5.6:<a href="http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~keirst/technical/25mmD-

F5.6-070331-1000.jpg"> Demolished Post Office, Stuart St., Boston, MA - 1000 x 670

photo</a></p></b>

[mark_tupper]

The Zeiss 25mm/2.8 Distagon ZF has very nice imaging characteristics, high contrast and resolution, low flare, good color rendition and smooth tonality. Out of focus blur is very smooth

 

So almost as good as a 12-24 DX Nikkor then !

[keirst]

Better for film users like me, who can't use the DX lenses. Plus I hate zooms.